On the Seine, Evening

It’s 1888 and Paris readies itself for the Exposition Universelle, a spectacular world’s fair staged the following year for the centennial of the French Revolution, which overthrew the monarchy in 1789. The centerpiece would be the Eiffel Tower, under construction on the far side of the River Seine along with enormous pavilions to house fair exhibits. The exposition would cater to people such as those seated in the foreground, middle-class citizens experiencing the new phenomenon of leisure time.